I-25 improvements mean a dramatic jump forward

In six decades lots of things can change, including design approaches for road construction.

But over the next year or so, Pueblo plans to catch up quickly and drivers can expect to see cones, cones and more cones.

In fact, the more people complain about cones, the better, said Greg Severance, county transportation director, who works with the Pueblo Area Council of Governments on transportation planning.

Severance joked with The Pueblo Chieftain editorial board Thursday that letters to the editor complaining about the roadwork will mean everything is moving in the right direction.

By the end of the year, work could begin on improvements to the Ilex interchange on Interstate 25. The interchange consists of a number of bridges between Runyon Field and First Street.

Severance, along with representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation, have been presenting design proposals that show what drivers could see as they go under the highway.

A major portion includes roads that pass under the freeway near Runyon Field and Phelps Creek. For the Runyon Field underpass, CDOT has proposed stamped concrete depicting a baseball player sliding head-first into a base. For the Phelps Creek underpass, the concrete stamps will have a wetlands or riparian theme.

For retaining walls along the First Street Exit, CDOT has proposed adopting the look of the bridges along the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo.

The interstate improvements will include widening of lanes and extending the on-ramp from First Street.

Work could begin by September. CDOT plans to keep both lanes of traffic in both directions open, though there may be lane closures.

But Ilex isn’t the only major project scheduled for the area. Work is expected to begin on the Dillon flyover, a bridge that will cross over I-25 and connect Dillon Drive to Elizabeth Street and feed traffic into the Pueblo Crossings shopping center.

Traffic lanes will remain open for that project as well.

Then there’s Fourth Street.

Already underway, new signals and crosswalks are being installed at intersections from Erie Avenue to Elizabeth.

Finally, work is expected to start soon on widening and intersection improvements to U.S. 50 from Purcell Boulevard to Morris Ave.